Thanks for your continued engagement. As always, please reach out to me should you need anything, want to see anything in the newsletter, or otherwise have any comments or questions! 

What to Watch

Here are the matters before Council that are at the top of my “watch list.” If there is anything on your watch list that you want to share with me, please reach out.

• Housing Updates. My grandfather was a glazier and my grandmother was a teacher. In the 1950s, they purchased a home just off West End Avenue for $10,000, which is about $115,000 in today’s dollars. It was a cute Tudor-style home that was about 2,500 square feet. About one-third of their block were duplex homes, and the rest were single family homes. It was impossible to tell which was which, but neighbors from that street can still tell you about who lived where, where they worked, and anecdotal stories about them. Fast forward to today’s Nashville, and almost all the duplexes on that street are gone and my grandparents’ former house is worth $1.4 million. To afford this home today, one would need a cash down payment of $280,000, have a monthly mortgage payment of $7,000, and make an annual salary of not less than $300,000.

  Our massive increase in housing costs relative to wages is not a sustainable situation. It is time to have a candid discussion about what it means to be middle income and live in Nashville today. It is with this in mind that I have proposed legislation aimed at streamlining the housing construction process and introducing modest density increases in neighborhoods similar to where my grandparents lived. If we can do big things like the East Bank and push for transit, then we can also make sure to have housing options for middle income Nashvillians.

  My expectation is that these bills will be deferred for many months to allow for a comprehensive, countywide conversation about our housing needs and desires. It's crucial that any proposed amendments take into account these collective needs, as well as what we want from our communities. I am hopeful that in the coming months, we can engage in a meaningful dialogue that will lead to actionable solutions for our housing challenges. I hope that you will reach out to me to share your thoughts and concerns, or attend one of the many public and neighborhood meetings planned. If your neighborhood would like to plan a meeting, please reach out to me, so we can get that scheduled.

• FUSUS Contract. Last night, MNPD and the Mayor’s office decided to pull a contract that allows for coordination with residents and businesses to access their private security cameras. I expect this contract to be back before Council late summer, and I look forward to continuing the conversation at that time.

• Subdivision regulation changes. As mentioned in my previous newsletters, the Planning Department has been working on updates to cluster subdivision regulations. I have some concerns about the proposed ordinance’s requirements regarding “useable open space.” I submitted an amendment to incentivize making useable open space publicly accessible. Even with this amendment, I do not believe this ordinance is perfect, but I am inclined to live with it as good enough for now barring further convincing evidence to the contrary. The cluster subdivision regulations are not back before Council tonight as the snow delayed them.

East Bank Updates

The Mayor’s office continues to work towards an agreement with the developer on the East Bank. It is also looking into the possibility of an East Bank Authority. I would like to know more about the structure of that Authority. I also look forward to hearing an update on negotiations in March.

News Around Town & Helpful Links

When I was on the Industrial Development Board, we were a (very) small piece of the puzzle that led to the location and development of the National Museum of African America Music. The Museum is such a cool part of our City, and I would encourage you to consider getting a membership or planning a visit here.

Public calendar notices can be found here.

You can find the brush pickup schedule here.

For fastest repair and attention, please submit all maintenance requests into Hub Nashville.

NES is working to replace old streetlights with new ones. Until that process is complete, please report streetlight outages here.

Something to Leave You With

Between council business, snow days, and normal illnesses from kids, I am a little behind in my reading. I am looking forward to checking out a new book soon from the Library’s Libby app!

Early voting in national primaries and local elections starts on February 14. You can show your love for democracy and go vote! Locations and schedule can be found here.